LOS ANGELES – Ron Ely, the beloved actor who portrayed Tarzan in the 1960s TV series, has died at the age of 86.

“My father was someone people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man, and leader,” Ely’s daughter, Kirsten Casale Ely, shared on Instagram, adding, “The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known – and I have lost my dad.”

Ely starred as Tarzan on NBC from 1966 to 1968, famously performing his own stunts, which led to several broken bones and even encounters with wild animals. 

After stepping away from acting in 2001, he turned to writing, publishing two mystery novels, and briefly returned to the screen in 2014 as an Amish elder in Expecting Amish.

In addition to Tarzan, Ely made memorable appearances in The Love Boat and Wonder Woman alongside Lynda Carter in the 1980s. Born in Texas in 1938, he first married his high school sweetheart, though they later divorced. 

In the early 1980s, while hosting the Miss America pageant, he met his second wife, Valerie Lundeen. 

The couple had three children together.

Ron Ely passed away on September 29 at his home in Santa Barbara, California.

Source-BBC